Big Universe

Kid-Friendly Poems for Valentine’s Day

February and poetry go together like butter and bread. Valentine’s Day poems are especially appealing to elementary children if they are funny and read out loud. Other interactive poetry grabs attention and helps channel pent-up wiggles on these wintry days.

Poetry provides a valid link to literacy. According to Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat website:

1.  Poetry awakens our senses, helps us make connections to others, and leads us to think in synthesizing ways, as required by the use of metaphor.
2. Paying attention to the language and rhythms of poetry helps build oral language skills.
3. Children with well-developed oral language skills are more likely to have higher achievement in reading and writing.

 Some Valentine’s Day poems to get you started.

 I Love You More Than Applesauce

By Jack Prelutsky

I love you more than applesauce,
Than peaches and a plum,
Than chocolate hearts,
And cherry tarts,
And berry bubble-gum.

I love you more than lemonade,
And seven-layer cake,
Than lollipops,
And candy drops,
And thick vanilla shake.

I love you more than marzipan,
Than marmalade on toast;
For I love pies
Of any size,
But I love you the most.

Veggie Valentine

- Author Unknown

You may not “carrot” all for me

The way I care for you

You may “turnip” your nose

When I plead with you

But if your heart should “beet” with mine

Forever “lettuce” hope

There is no reason in the world

Why we two “cantaloupe.”

Making Valentines
- Author Unknown
In February, what shall I do?
I’ll make some valentines for you.
The first will have a cupid’s face;
The second will be trimmed with lace.
The third will have some roses pink;
The fourth will have a verse in ink.
The fifth will have a ribbon bow;
The sixth will glisten like the snow.
The seventh will have some lines I drew;
The eighth, some flowers – just a few.
The ninth will have three little birds;
The tenth will have three little words:
I LOVE YOU!

My Valentine Heart
- Author Unknown

 When I say I love you                       (Point to lips)
It comes from my heart                    (Hand on heart)
You hear it in your ear                      (Point to ear)
And it sounds very smart                 (Point to head)
I love it when you’re proud of me (Stand real tall)
You say it all day long                        (Stretch arms wide)
And when I hear you say it              (Point to ear)
My heart sings a merry song           (Hand on heart)

I Made My Dog a Valentine

By Jack Prelutsky

I made my dog a valentine,

she sniffed it very hard,

then chewed on it a little while

and left it in the yard.

I made one for my parakeets,

a pretty paper heart,

they pulled it with their claws and beaks

until it ripped apart.

I made one for my turtle,

all he did was get it wet,

I wonder if a valentine

is wasted on a pet.

If you are looking for additional Valentine’s Day literature ideas, check out this extensive bibliography aimed at the elementary-age child – courtesy of the LRC/Sivia Center in Gainesville, Fla. Other illustrated poems for kids can be found in the poetry section on the children’s picture books website Big Universe.

Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus by Mo Williems

These “pigeon” books are a huge hit with my son.  They reflect exactly the way that a determined young child would act in order to get their way.  Notice I said “determined“.

Basically it is a simple book with simple drawings, but it is great.  The story is about a bus driver having to leave the bus and he urges his readers to NOT let the pigeon drive the bus.  And, of course you guessed it, the pigeon wants to drive the bus and tries to persuade the reader to allow him to do so.

This book allows true interaction with your child as your child soon learns a variety of words that the pigeon is “shouting” throughout. Therefore, this is not a bedtime book – this book will really get your child involved and in high gear!  And in the process, it produces a lot of giggles!

This book ALWAYS brings a laugh when read. It is a must-have for any child. You, as an adult, will enjoy it just as much! It is one that will not sit on your shelf very often.

Week 2 High Frequency Word List
1. a
2. to
3. in

Books and Such – Hold the Mayo

It’s January and bazillions of people are dragging their loaded chassis to the gym. Carrots and yogurt are “in.” Sugar cookies and high-octane eggnog are “out.”

My Inbox is getting a workout too. Work memos, sales notices and email replies beg for attention as the new year gets underway. My news alert system is huffing and puffing too, and if sheer numbers count for anything, it would appear that the children’s books industry and literacy movement are alive and well!

I know you are an information-hungry bunch, but are as busy as all get out and are trying to scale back from the onslaught. …So, I did the work for you. For your dieting pleasure, I offer Literary News Lite:

• Newbery medalist Katherine Paterson has been named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She wrote “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Jacob Have I Loved” and the 2009 title “The Day of the Pelican.” 

• Retired teacher Warren Williams of Bucks County, Pa., has put pen to paper to record a local legend about our first president. “A Basket of Pears for General Washington” relates life as it was during the American Revolution – just in time for President’s Day.

• Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has co-authored a children’s book about his cat and dog. “Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle” debuts Jan. 26 with proceeds going to The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

• Red carpet seats are being auctioned for the 16^th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 23 in Los Angeles to benefit the children’s literacy programs BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) and Storyline Online.”

• Monica Brown’s new book “Chavela and the Magic Bubble” will be available to the public May 3. Although written in English,  the heroine is a Latina girl who loves to chew chicle. Ms. Brown  is also the author of “My Name is Gabito” and other award-winning bi-lingual books. She has four additional upcoming releases.

• India’s disadvantaged are the beneficiaries of new solar energy projects and various micro-loan businesses, which provide free or affordable light to those with no electricity – promoting literacy, improved health conditions and stimulating cottage industry development.  An estimated 76 million homes in India are unconnected to the power grid, according to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).

• Author Ann M. Martin has written a prequel to her gargantuan “Baby-Sitters Club” series (213 titles from 1986-2000). “The Summer Before” is set for publication in April along with revised versions of the first two books in the series.

• Big Universe, an award-winning children’s education website, recently added dozens of titles to its collection of 1,000-plus online picture books from nationally recognized publishers. Reading quizzes, Fountas and Pinnell and DRA leveling, and browsing for books by language, topic and reading level are just a few of this site’s many features.

• Prolific author Marilyn Helmer just had her 27^th children’s book published. “The Fossil Hunters” mystery is the second in her Orca Echoes series. She is perhaps known best for her multiple-award-winning picture book “Fog Cat.”

• Read-a-thons, book drives and celebrity story readings will mark Canada’s Family Literacy Day on Jan. 27, a national initiative to promote learning and reading together as a family.

• Media Source Inc. sold Darby Creek Publishing, publisher of almost five dozen kids’ books, to Lerner Publishing Group Inc. of Minneapolis.

• The Chicago Cubs’ literacy-themed Caravan Tour is scheduled for Jan. 13-14. Players, coaches and staff will visit seven cities, making numerous stops at schools, kids clubs, a library, a hospital and elsewhere. This is the sixth year the team has participated in the “Cubs Spotlight on Reading Program,” which is designed to promote reading enthusiasm and reward reading achievements.

Tips for Getting More Books in 2010

In my hometown, there is an annual adult literacy fund-raiser called the “Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Book Sale.” It took place a few months ago and more than 17,000 shoppers attended to purchase books and support the Greenville Literacy Association in South Carolina. A total of $150,000 was raised.

I don’t know about you, but my heart rate quickens at the sight of large quantities of books. Oh, the reading possibilities!

I even get a little rush when I go to my mother’s house – and not because she makes the best cappuccino east of Rome and north of Cuba! No, there’s inevitably a small pile of books waiting for me on a side counter near her kitchen door. My mom is an avid reader, and we share similar tastes in books. She has minimal space for storing extra books, so they get to come home with me to live. Yip!

For those of you who have a crush on books like I do, I offer a list of ways to feast your eyes on a few more this year, keeping frugality in mind. The library is a given, of course.

Merger & Acquisition

• Check out thrift shops. I’ve found some classics there.
• Visit BookMooch.com, a point-based book-swapping website that “lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want.” There is no fee to join. Mailing your books is the only cost.
• Post a book wish list in your classroom if you are a teacher (Parents Night) and include the list in your “Note from the Teacher” for each child’s take-home folder.
• Subscribe to Big Universe’s free weekly newsletter, which includes links in each issue for complimentary access to selected children’s books offered online. Follow Big Universe on Facebook and receive alerts for the website’s free book of the day.
• Scout  out local yard or moving sales. There’s always a crate of mix-n-match volumes under a table somewhere.
• Read literacy blogs and other social media, keeping an eye out for book giveaways or contests.
• Give the right answer when someone asks you for birthday gift ideas for your kids. “Anything would be lovely, but books are always a hit” works nicely.
• Start an exchange at the gym. Ask management if you can add a box by the door at the childcare room.
• Swap one of the duplicate books you got for Christmas with a friend.
• Look for post-holiday closeout deals at the book shop or big box stores.
• Do your research. Many reading incentive programs (especially in summer) offer book rewards for reaching goals.
• Get your techie to surf the Net for some deals – Affordabook.com,  Half.com or Powells.com for instance.
• Inquire at churches. Some offer lending libraries.
• Ask to collect books not claimed from Lost & Found bins.

* Let me know if you have any other ideas. I’d love to add to this list, so please submit a comment.

10 Tips to Inspire Young Readers

Reading with children from a young age encourages early literacy. My mother made it a nightly ritual, and it made bedtime something to look forward to instead of something to dread.

Once my brother, sister and I had our pajamas on and our last drink of water, we would climb in bed and Mom would read. If we dawdled, we got half a page. If we were prompt with bedtime rituals, we would get to hear a half hour of an ongoing “chapter book.”

This family tradition enabled us to enjoy the whole “Little House on the Prairie” series, the adventures of “Robinson Crusoe” and the humor of “Charlotte’s Web.” My siblings and I fell in love with words, stories and books and were soon reading on our own. Story time had a lasting effect on us all.

So, it was a joy to carry on this tradition when I had my own children. Here are 10 of my favorite ways to mentor little language lovers.

10 Tips to Nurture a Love for Reading

1. Use different voices when you read to children, changing accents, inflection and cadence. Try whispering a sentence or two. It gets their attention!
2. Kids like to laugh. Find humorous stories and poems with great rhymes and silly characters. Soon your children will be reciting the best lines with you. Try “Fun is a Feeling,”a rhyming picture book by Chara Curtis, the classic “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle,” or “Grandma’s Feather Bed,” an award-winning Dawn Publications book featuring the funny lyrics from folk singing icon John Denver and illustrations by Christopher Canyon.
3. Read aloud to children every day, putting it on par with getting dressed, eating dinner and brushing teeth. Like breathing, it wasn’t an option in my house. It was a natural facet of daily life – a fun part! I found that even babies like the sound of a reading voice. I remember my infant daughter settling contentedly in the crook of my arm each afternoon as I read to her older sibling – who would perch next to me on the armchair for our daily dose of books.
4. Get books on tape for car rides. Take advantage of your captive audience. I found these books were a miracle cure for tired, whine-prone little ones.
5. Find a topic that lights the fire under your child. If your son loves baseball, read a baseball story together. Try the “Jackie Robinson Graphic Biography.” You read a page, and he reads a page. Then go out and play catch with him for 20 minutes or plan an outing to a pro ballgame.
6. Find unusual places to read. One beloved fourth grade teacher I knew took his classes to stairwells to read books. The kids enjoyed the change in scenery, and their teacher’s voice echoed in all the right parts when he read. Other great spots to enjoy a book? Try a hammock, a tree fort or a refrigerator box with a doorway cut into it and stocked with a flashlight. Or, pack a picnic and a book such as “On One Flower: Butterflies, Ticks and a Few More Icks.” Then drive to a nearby park to read, explore and have lunch.
7. Use large print books for early readers. Use your finger to point out words or a 3×5 card to help train eyes to read. Cut a notch in the corner or the straight edge and slide as needed.
8. Good illustrations capture the imagination. Pick out books with wonderful pictures – ones like those in “Little Yellow Pear Tomatoes.” Point out details in the illustrations to get kids more involved in the story.
9. A trip to the book store – whether virtual or on a local street corner – is a great way to reward a good report card or some other goal…and it doesn’t involve sugar. Give your child a gift card and let her pick out her own book and “pay” for it on her own. My two daughters loved this holiday and end-of-school-year ritual.
10.  Help children write the stories in their heads. Supply paper, pencils, markers and tape and let them go to town. Better yet, go digital. Help your child use the Big Universe Author Tool – a wonderful way to write a book while enhancing computer and reading skills. The website has printing and publishing options too, so your child can become a “published author.”

This list only scratches the surface. I’d love to hear what other parents, reading teachers, homeschoolers and library media specialists have devised over the years to make reading fun. Go ahead, spill your secrets. Inquiring minds want to know.

 Please take a moment to offer a comment and share the love!

* Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com